1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to security shades and more particularly relates to security shades for use in an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Security shades have been known for many years in the art. There are many styles of motor vehicles that do not provide covered areas for storing cargo or other personal items. In these vehicles any articles in the cargo area can be easily viewed from the exterior of the vehicle. To hide these articles from view, motor vehicle manufactures provide a flexible security shade or panel that can be extended to cover the cargo area and prevent anyone outside the vehicle from readily viewing any stored articles.
Many prior art security shades generally include a flexible fabric panel, which is wrapped on to a roller tube and mounted to a support structure in the vehicle. The roller tube is rotationally biased so that the panel can be extended to cover the compartment area and retracted onto the roller tube for storage when not in use. The end of the shade panel is normally provided with a pull tube or stiffner having a handle that enables the panel to be conveniently extended. The pull tube also includes clips or tabs which engage brackets mounted to the vehicle side walls in the cargo area and maintain the panel in its extended position. Many of these prior art security shades are mounted in vehicles such that the roller tube is positioned across from one end of the cargo area with the shade panel being extendible rearward toward a vehicles rear cargo door. The security shade is positioned behind a rear seat back which can be folded down to enlarge cargo area of the vehicle. When the cargo area is enlarged the security shade may be removed to prevent it from restricting and reducing the cargo area. For this and many other reasons, security shades often feature a mounting system which allows them to be removed from and reinstalled into the vehicle. Therefore, the end units and roller tubes for security shades include many components which increase the cost and complexity along with the weight of the overall security shade unit. Many of the prior art security shades require many components to properly create a removable mounting portion of the security shade and rotational biasing component for the roller tube. Generally, this type of assembly requires many hours of individual labor and requires many different components that are adaptable to different vehicle applications, including vehicle models, vehicle widths, or orientation of the security shade within the automotive interior. Many of these prior art security shades have a fixed end that is not compressible and one compressible end to allow for insertion into the vehicle interior and proper securing of the security shade within the cargo area.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved security shade for use in an automotive vehicle. There also is a need in the art for a security shade that reduces the weight by reducing the number of components while still providing appropriate robustness and durability when the security shade panel is being extended or retracted onto the roller tube for storage. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for a security shade that uses a fixed motor spring. There also is the need in the art for a security shade that has a compression support assembly on both ends of the security shade that will allow a greater range of compression for multiple vehicle positions. Also there is a need in the art for a security shade having end cap travel distance and spring force that can be adjusted to meet requirements of various manufacturers of multiple vehicle lines and sizes.